Ornamental article

ABSTRACT

A sheet and pile projecting from the sheet, the pile being decorated to present a pictorial representation with the pile projecting in predetermined directions from the sheet and another pictorial representation when the pile projects in other predetermined directions from the sheet.

July 4, 1972 M. HOWARD ORNAMENTAL ARTICLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 4, 1970 F/G.5a

F/G.5b

in r1315 maxi 3 July 4, 1972 M. HOWARD 3,674,616

ORNAMENTAL ARTICLE Filed Dec. 4, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fl6.6 FIG-.7

nw. w LAURENCE M. HOWARD United States Patent 3,674,616 ORNAMENTAL ARTICLE Laurence M. Howard, 370 E. 76th St., New York, NY. 10021 Filed Dec. 4, 1970, Ser. No. 95,041 Int. Cl. D0311 27/00 U.S. Cl. 161-62 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sheet and pile projecting from the sheet, the pile being decorated to present a pictorial representation with the pile projecting in predetermined directions from the sheet and another pictorial representation when the pile projects in other predetermined directions from the sheet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION While the device of the instance invention is intended and has been primarily developed for use as a rug, and will be illustrated and described hereinafter with particular reference thereto, it Will be appreciated that the ornamental article disclosed herein may be capable of other applications, all of which are intended to be comprehended herein.

As is well known, changeable pictorial representations of many types have heretofore been proposed and employed. However, such structures have not been adapted for use in pile fabrics, rugs or the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide a unique changeable display structure for use in conjunction with a pile fabric, such as a rug, or other pile structure.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an ornamental article of the type described including a freely flexible pile and markings on the pile such that there are presented diflerent pictorial representations upon movement of or flexure of the pile to extend in different directions.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an ornamental article having the advantageous characteristics mentioned in the preceding paragraphs, which is extremely well adapted for use as a rug, carpet or the like, for covering floors, walls or otherwise, being extremely simple in structure, durable in use, and quickly and easily changeable between presented representations without expenditure of appreciable effort or skill.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope will be indicated by the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating an ornamental article constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, there being represented as a rug;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the rug of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the rug of FIGS. 1 and 2, but with the rug pile in different positions;

FIG. 4 is a sectional elevational view taken generally along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2 illustrating a pile position in FIG. 2 where the pile is perpendicular to a horizontal;

3,674,616 Patented July 4, 1972 FIGS. 5a and b are, respectively, sectional elevational views taken generally along the lines 5a-5a and 5b5b illustrating various pile positions of FIG. 3 as contrasted with those of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary plan view showing another embodiment of ornamental article in accordance with the teachings of the present invention having pile extending in omnidirections;

FIG. 7 is a partial plan view similar to FIG. 6, but illustrating the pile extending in another multiplicity of directions;

FIG. 8 is a partial plan view illustrating still another embodiment of the present invention with the pile extending in omnidirections; and

FIG. 9 is a plan view smaller to FIG. 8 but illustrating the pile extending in another multiplicity of directions.

DESCRIPTO'N OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically to FIG. 1 thereof, an ornamental article, as represented in fragmentary form, is there generally designated 10, and may include a fabric sheet or rug backing 11 illustrated in its normal, generally horizontal position supported by suitable means, such as a backing, frame, or a ground or floor surface, and having projecting from its upper side pile 12. The rug backing of fabric sheet 11 may be of any suitable construction, say woven, so as to be relatively inelastic or inextensible, and suitably structured to carry the yarns or strands 13 of the pile 12.

That is, the yarns or strands 13 may be anchored in any suitable manner in the rug backing 11 and project generally upwardly therefrom in the manner of a pile rug or carpet. The pile 12 may be fabricated of conventional materials, such as natural, synthetic or flexible fiber forms, so that the pile yarns or strands 13 extend generally upwardly from the upper side of the fabric backing 11, and are flexible or movable for disposition at any selected inclination or angularity with respect to the rug backing. Examples of such materials may comprise wool, polyester, acrylic, rayon, polyamides, and the like.

That is, as is known, the pile of a rug may be brushed or combed to project, as desired, from the rug backing, say projecting generally upright or normal to the rug backing, or at an inclination extending in any desider direction.

In the illustrations of FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the yarns or strands 13 of the pile 12 extend generally upright or substantially normal to the backing 11, as best seen in FIG. 4. It will be appreciated that, in this condition of pile 12 extending generally upright, the free ends or terminal of the pile yarns 13 are presented most prominently to visual observation. By suitable markings or coloring on the particular yarn or fibers, there is presented to View when the pile yarns 13 are, say for example all substantially upright as in FIG. 4, the pictorial representation or design 15. Without limitation and for purposes of illustration only, the design 15 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 as that of an unhappy or sullen clown. -It will be appreciated that the design may be made on the article by dying, such as using a silkscreening or printing process wherein either the yarn ends or terminal portions are colored diiferently from the rug background or wherein the entirepile is completely colored from roots to the termini portions, where desired as contrasted to the overall entire pile itself. Also, a completely colored pile or fiber design may be obtained by weaving a construction wherein pile is anchored to a suitable substrate.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 5, it will there be seen that the pile yarns or strands 13- of the pile 12 has been moved, brushed, combed or otherwise flexed out of its inclination shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, to upwardly, downwardly, and other inclined dispositions. This is best seen in the sectional views of FIGS. a and 5b. As will readily be understood by those skilled in the art, and further appreciated by reference to FIGS. 5a and 5b, there are exposed or presented to view in the pile condition of FIGS. 5a and 5b the pile portions adjacent to the yarn ends or termini, and specifically a certain side of such pile portions. The color or markings on the pile yarn or fibers combine with the markings on the adjacent yarns to present the design a in FIG. 3 or any other facial design by simply moving the pile in the facial area in other directions so as to obtain other elfects.

It will, therefore, be understood that by moving, brushing, combing or otherwise flexing the pile yarns 13 between the pile condition of FIG. 4 and the pile condition of FIGS. 5a and 5b, the design 15 of FIG. 2 may be converted or transformed to the design 1511 of FIG. 3. While the design 15a illustrates the clown in a happy mood, it is appreciated that the design 15 and 15a may be of any suitable content, as desired.

By way of example, and without limiting intent, reference is made to FIGS. 6 and 7, wherein a slightly modified embodiment of the invention is generally designated 20, including pile 21 of freely projecting yarns or strands 23. The pile 23 of FIG. 6, as illustrated therein, represents the pile yarns projecting in a plurality of directions (as contrasted to a substantially normal upright direction of the pile in FIGS. 1 and 2), while that of FIG. 7 represents the pile yarns 23 in a plurality of other directions. The free ends or the pile yarns 23 are suitably marked or imprinted to present a design 25 in FIG. 6, while the further movement of the markings and the inclination of the pile yarns present the design 25a.

Similarly in FIGS. 8 and 9, there is represented a rug having pile 31 of yarns or strands 33, which yarns or strands are generally in a plurality of directions in FIG. 8 and in another plurality of directions in FIG. 9. The pile yarns or strands 33 are marked or imprinted to present a design 35, as shown in FIG. 8, while the same pile yarn end portions present the modified design 35a upon movement, brushing or fiexure of the pile yarns or other positions.

While the illustrated embodiments have shown two different pictorial representations resulting from movement of the pile yarns between two different positions of angular projection, it is appreciated that three or more pictorial representations may be presented by suitably marking the yarn ends and adjacent portions, and appropriately fiexing the yarns to expose the difierent markings. For example, in the first described embodi- 4 ment of FIGS. 3 and 5, if the yarns 13 were suitably marked additionally on their right sides adjacent to their free ends, as best seen in FIG. 5b, and the yarns flexed to extend obliquely upwardly and leftwardly, to expose the said additional markings, an additional design would be presented to view.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides an ornamental article, which may be in the nature of a rug, pile fabric or other, which provides a unique changeable presentation of display, and otherwise fully accomplishes its intended objects.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An ornamental article comprising of fabric sheet, pile adapted to be projected from one face of said sheet, said pile being flexible for disposition at selected angles of projection from said sheet, and markings on at least the free ends and the adjacent portions of said pile, said markings combining in a position of pile orientation to present one pictorial representation and in other positions of pile projection to present another pictorial representation.

2. An ornamental article according to claim 1, said fabric sheet being relatively inextensible to effectively present relative displacement of said pile except by flexure of the pile.

3. An ornamental article according to claim 2, said fabric sheet being woven.

4. An ornamental article according to claim 2, said fabric sheet comprising a rug backing combining with said pile to define a rug.

5. An ornamental article according to claim 1, wherein said article is a facial surface of a doll.

6. An ornamental article according to claim 1, wherein said article is an anatomical surface of a stuffed animal.

"7. An ornamental article according to claim 1, wherein said article is a surface or a portion of a surface of a toy article.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,548,819 8/1925 Blumenthal 161--67 3,293,796 12/ 1966 Strader t 16162 UX WILLIAM J. VAN BALEN, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. XuR. 

